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Sugar Cane is medium to large in size, growing up six meters in height, and averages 3-5 centimeters in diameter with elongated stems and long, pointed leaves. The cylindrical stems have an outer layer that is smooth, hard, inedible, dark red-purple, and has white growth rings or joints that divide the stem into segments of different sizes ranging from 10-25 centimeters apart. The interior of the stem is pale gold, firm, juicy, woody, and fibrous. Sugar Cane offers a sweet and starchy taste with a raw vanilla flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Sugar Cane is available year-round in tropical climates and in the late summer through fall in climates with colder winters.
Current Facts
Sugar Cane, botanically classified as Saccharum officinarum, is a perennial grass that belongs to the Poaceae family along with rice, sorghum, and wheat. Sugar Cane is one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops and is a source of commercial sucrose, which is extracted by crushing the stem. The plant thrives in warm, tropical climates across the world and is favored by chefs and home cooks for its fibrous flesh and sweet, sugary liquid. There are many different varieties of Sugar Cane that range in appearance from white, green, to purple. Also known as the Purple Ribbon Sugar Cane, the Purple Sugar Cane depicted in the photo above is considered a “noble” variety and was created through back-crossing with a natural hybrid of black cheribon.
Nutritional Value
Sugar Cane is an excellent source of calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. It is also a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C and B, and antioxidants.
Applications
Sugar Cane is best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as boiling. The flesh is chewed as a sweet treat to extract the juice, and then the fibrous cane is discarded. The stem can also be pressed to make cane juice or boiled to make pure cane syrup and raw sugar crystals. In addition to boiling and syrup production, Sugar Cane can be cut, sliced, and used as skewers for beverages, fruit kabobs, shrimp, meats, or on tray passed hors d’oeurves. It can also be used to make ice cream and cocktails. Sugar Cane pairs well with raspberries, pineapple, lime, cinnamon, plantains, peanuts, shrimp, fish, poultry, and steak. The stems will keep up to two weeks when wrapped whole, placed in a plastic bag, and stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. They can also be frozen up to three months.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The Purple Sugar Cane of today is not the original plant that was once found growing along the lush coast of Georgia in the United States. Around the turn of the 20th century, most of the sugar cane varieties growing in the American south were killed off by disease. Due to the loss of the plant, the culinary culture in the South also suffered because many of the traditional dishes were centered around the use of Sugar Cane and its distinct flavoring. In 2014, Purple Sugar Cane got a resurgence thanks to a partnership between Clemson University and a small, coastal Georgia family farm. Researchers and botanists worked to find a more disease resistant hybrid, using both cultivated and wild varieties. With the selection of a “noble” variety, which is a variety back-bred with an ancient variety, the sugar cane industry in the United States was saved, and traditional recipes for molasses and syrup were reintroduced using the plant.
Geography/History
Sugar Cane is believed to be native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia and was first domesticated in New Guinea around 8,000 BCE. It then spread to India and Oceania through immigration of emerging civilizations, and in 715 CE, Sugar Cane was established in the Middle East, Egypt, and later the Mediterranean via the crusades. Spanish and Portuguese explorers introduced Sugar Cane to the new world between 1400-1500 CE, and the plant became widely popular due to the warm climate and available land for cultivation. Today Sugar Cane is cultivated in tropical climates around the world, especially in Mexico, Thailand, Pakistan, China, India, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Florida, and can be found at local markets and specialty grocers in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Sugar Cane stems grow up to six meters high and 3-5 centimeters in diameter, with smooth, hard, dark red-purple outer layers and pale gold, juicy, fibrous interiors. The stems are divided by white growth rings that segment them into lengths of 10-25 centimeters. In addition to its sweetness, Sugar Cane offers a subtle raw vanilla flavor profile, adding a unique depth to its starchy taste.
Sugar Cane: This versatile plant can be enjoyed raw, cooked, or boiled for syrup production. The stem offers creative culinary uses, such as skewers for shrimp or fruit kabobs. It pairs wonderfully with pineapple, lime, raspberries, cinnamon, or even meats like shrimp and steak. For storage, keep stems refrigerated up to two weeks or freeze them for up to three months to maintain freshness.
From Carranza Citrus: Sugar Cane: Sugar Cane, scientifically known as Saccharum officinarum, is a perennial grass belonging to the Poaceae family, which includes grains like rice and wheat. Renowned for its sweet juice, Sugar Cane is one of the earliest cultivated crops, thriving in warm, tropical climates. It is nutrient-rich, offering minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, and B.
Carranza Citrus: Sugar Cane: Today, Sugar Cane is cultivated globally in tropical climates such as Mexico, Thailand, Pakistan, China, India, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Florida. It is widely accessible at local markets and specialty grocers across continents including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, highlighting its widespread popularity and agricultural importance.
Purple Sugar Cane experienced a drastic decline in the American South around the 20th century due to disease, which led to the loss of its use in traditional Southern dishes. In 2014, efforts by Clemson University and a Georgia family farm revived the crop with a disease-resistant hybrid, blending ancient and modern varieties. This revival allowed the reintroduction of molasses and syrup recipes that utilize Purple Sugar Cane’s distinct flavor.
Sugar Cane grown in Australia are available in Sydney Australia…Sugar Cane develops elongated stems that can reach six meters in height, with diameters averaging 3-5 centimeters. The cylindrical stems feature a hard, smooth, dark red-purple outer layer that is inedible but visually marked by white growth rings, creating segments spaced 10-25 centimeters apart. Inside, the pale gold core is juicy and fibrous, offering a sweet, starchy taste with hints of raw vanilla.
Markt Binnenrotte
Binnenrotte 101, 3011 HB Rotterdam, Netherlands
Sugar Cane: Sugar Cane can be enjoyed raw, where the flesh is chewed to extract its sweet juice, or cooked in recipes such as cane syrup and raw sugar crystals. Its stems are versatile as skewers in beverages and kabobs or even for making ice cream and cocktails. When stored properly, whole stems last up to two weeks in the refrigerator or up to three months when frozen. It pairs well with items like pineapple, cinnamon, shrimp, and steak.
Raya Grocery
+442074075556
Stoney St, London SE1 1TL, United Kingdom
Sugar Cane is botanically classified as Saccharum officinarum and is a perennial grass in the Poaceae family, sharing a group with rice, sorghum, and wheat. It is one of the oldest cultivated crops used for extracting commercial sucrose. Thriving in warm, tropical climates, its varieties span white, green, and purple, including the "noble" Purple Ribbon Sugar Cane, a hybrid developed through selective back-crossing with black cheribon.
Murray Family Farms
Sugar Cane From Murray Family Farms In Santa Monica, California…Sugar Cane is native to tropical Southeast Asia and was first domesticated in New Guinea around 8,000 BCE. It spread to India, Oceania, and by 715 CE, to the Middle East and Mediterranean. Spanish and Portuguese explorers introduced it to the Americas between 1400-1500 CE. Today, it is cultivated in tropical climates worldwide, including in Mexico, India, Brazil, and the U.S. states of Hawaii, Louisiana, and Florida, and is widely available at specialty markets.
Purple Sugar Cane: The plant we know today is a hybrid created after early 20th-century diseases wiped out most sugar cane varieties in the American South. This caused a decline in traditional Southern cuisine, which relied on sugar cane for flavoring. In 2014, Clemson University and a family farm in Georgia revived it with a disease-resistant "noble" hybrid, restoring the sugar cane industry and traditional recipes.